1. Field
The present disclosure relates to an endoscope robot having a joint structure with a high curvature, and more particularly, to an endoscope robot for performing a predetermined work by inserting a tube body into a duct in which the degree of freedom motion of a high curvature may be added to an end-effector formed at an end of a tube body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Minimal invasive surgery is a surgical procedure performed by minimizing an incision region without incising the stomach and has advantages in substantially no scar or aftereffect and rapid recovery due to the small incision region. In order to perform the minimal invasive surgery, an endoscope robot for micro surgery should be used, and fabrication and control of relevant equipment are being studied.
As an endoscope robot used for micro surgery, a continuum tube robot, so-called an “active cannula”, has been proposed.
FIGS. 1A to 1D show a plurality of tube bodies 10 to 40 of an existing continuum tube robot, and FIG. 2 conceptually shows a continuum tube robot composed of the tube bodies of FIG. 1.
As shown in FIGS. 1A to 1D, each tube body 10 to 40 includes linear portions 11, 21, 31, 41 and curved portions 12, 22, 32, 42 extending from the linear portions with predetermined curvatures.
The tube bodies 10 to 40 may be made of a shape-memory alloy with a super-elastic characteristic and may have different lengths, diameters and curvatures so as to move in an overlapped state.
As shown in FIG. 2, due to the interaction of the tube bodies which move in an overlapped state, a location of an end-effector 50 coupled to the front end of the continuum tube robot may be controlled.
The continuum tube robot controls an operation of a rear end located at an outside 1 of a living body and allows the tube bodies 10 to 40 to rotate and/or translate in parallel so that the front end inserted into a working duct 3 extending into a living body 2 suitably curves according to the shape of the duct 3.
In detail, by using an energy equation, a resultant angle for minimizing the energy of the tube bodies 10 to 40 overlapped with each other and a final location of the end-effector are expected.
Each tube body 10 to 40 has a degree of internal rotation and a degree of internal parallel translation, independent from other tube bodies.
As shown in FIG. 2, by suitably allowing the tube bodies 10 to 40 overlapped with each other to rotate and/or translate in parallel, the tube bodies 10 to 40 may suitably curve according to the shape of the duct 3 into which an instrument is inserted, and the end-effector 50 may be finally located at a desired position.
However, in the existing technique, even though the end-effector 50 may be located at a desired position, the direction of the end-effector 50 may not be locally changed at the corresponding position, which gives a limit in operation.
Generally, the end-effector 50 used for the minimal invasive surgery has a very small size, and thus it is very difficult to mount a motor for direction change or the like directly to the end-effector 50.